Transitioning boldly to attack from stable defense, aiming for consecutive wins at Ajinomoto

　Sec. 9 will see us face Kashima Antlers at home. The previous match against Kobe ended in a scoreless draw, but we maintained a solid defense. It was a match where "we could have won if we had scored a goal," so this time we must secure a goal and aim for consecutive victories at home at Ajinomoto, following the match against Yokohama FC in Sec. 7.

　Kashima is currently in 12th place with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses. After a difficult start to the season without wins, they have started to create opportunities with the return of midfielder Nozawa. However, just as they were gaining momentum, forward Yanagisawa was sidelined due to injury. Although they lost to Urawa in the last match, Kashima created more chances. Coach Hara emphasized, "Every team is separated by a fine line; if you lose focus for even a moment, you can lose, and if you can convert your chances, you can win," showing his determination.

　When you think of Kashima, the strong image is of passing the ball, but this season they are also creating chances from quick counters. At the same time, their total goals conceded is low at "8." Like Tokyo, they have the confidence to defend well even when they are somewhat pressured for possession, making the midfield battles one of the highlights. In the match against Kobe, the gap between the two forwards and the midfield became too wide, preventing them from launching a robust attack. However, the players uniformly reflected, "We were too cautious. We need a bit more creativity," and they aim to transition from solid defense to aggressive attacks. They want to break down Kashima's solid defense with wide attacks on the pitch and movements that see midfielders and full-backs overlap with the forwards.

　Tokyo will have the same starting lineup as the previous match, while Kashima will include forward Tashiro, who is making his first start of the season. On this clear May day at Ajinomoto, due to the Golden Week, 30,436 guests attended, and the match started with Kashima's kickoff at 16:05.

Both teams launched counterattacks, resulting in a back-and-forth development.

　From the beginning, both teams pressed each other and launched quick attacks after regaining possession. Tokyo positioned Asari almost as a lone defensive midfielder, creating a robust offensive play from Fukunishi's advances. In the 3rd minute, Lucas boldly cut into the area from the left. The final pass was blocked by the opposing defender, but he persistently picked up the loose ball and took a shot from a tight angle. However, it was thwarted by the opposing goalkeeper's save. In the 9th minute, Kashima's forward Marquinhos broke free from a long ball to the right flank, and although Fujiyama tried to respond, he was turned around and shot from close range inside the right area. However, Shiota made a great save, resulting in a corner kick.

　In the 12th minute, Tokunaga passed to Ishikawa, who became the pivot, and Tokunaga overlapped. The right cross reached Lucas at the far post, who passed directly to Wanchope in front of the goal. They created a good attacking shape, but the final pass was blocked by the Kashima defense. Tokyo showed several good attacking shapes, but Kashima also created chances from long balls, resulting in a back-and-forth development. In the 21st minute, Kurizawa made a big switch from left to right. Ishikawa received the ball and won a right corner kick from the cross. In the 23rd minute, this time, Kanazawa's switch led to a cross from Ishikawa, resulting in another right corner kick. Ishikawa's kick was contested by Lucas, followed by Tokunaga, but the ball floated and crossed the line.

　In the 28th minute, from Tokunaga's right throw-in, Lucas connected, and Wanchope dribbled centrally to Lucas. He made a final pass to Ishikawa, who boldly aimed for the goal but unfortunately shot just left of the goal... In the 30th minute, Kashima's left midfielder Danilo dribbled centrally and passed to right-side midfielder Nozawa. Seeing that there was no pressure, Nozawa took a well-aimed shot. The ball hit the crossbar! The rebound went to forward Marquinhos in the left area, but his shot from an awkward position went wide, escaping the danger.

　As both teams launched counterattacks, in the 36th minute, Lucas made a long feed from his own half, and Wanchope broke free to shoot from the right area. In the 41st minute, Tokunaga advanced and connected a pass into the middle despite being pressured. Lucas received the ball freely and unleashed a powerful shot from just in front of the right side of the area, but it narrowly missed the target... From effective side changes by Kurizawa and Kanazawa, Ishikawa frequently delivered crosses that earned corner kicks, but they were unable to score from set pieces. The first half ended 0-0.

Scored first with a header from Wanchope, but suffered a painful comeback loss at home...

　In the first half, we created effective chances with wide play and quick counterattacks in the opponent's territory. In the second half, where expectations for a goal were high, the opening goal came in the 57th minute. Lucas spread the play to the right side, received a return pass from Ishikawa, and surged into the right area. After a brilliant one-two with Kurizawa, he sent a floated last pass to the far post. Wanchope headed it in, scoring a goal! It seemed like Wanchope was gaining momentum with his first league goal.

　However, just after that, in the 59th minute, Kashima's FW Tashiro received a vertical pass, which was cut off by Tokyo's DF, resulting in a left corner kick. The CK taken by MF Nozawa was initially punched away by Shiota, but Tokunaga and Fukunishi failed to clear it consecutively, and the ball kicked by Lucas hit Kashima's DF Aoki and spilled out. Kashima's MF Nakago, who ran in, struck a powerful shot into the net for a goal. They equalized immediately after taking the lead.

　In the 70th minute, Wanchope was substituted for Baba and Norio SUZUKI was brought in, aiming to take the lead. However, they struggled to apply pressure in the midfield, allowing Kashima to connect their passes, which became noticeable, and they lost their rhythm to Kashima. In the 80th minute, Kajiyama was brought in to try to change the flow, but in the 82nd minute, from a right throw-in by Kashima, FW Marquinhos broke free deep on the right flank near the sideline and maintained possession. Asahiri and Norio SUZUKI tried to surround him and take the ball, but he slipped through them and delivered a fast cross in front of the goal. This was met by the substitute MF Masuda, who scored with a perfect header, resulting in a goal against... They were caught off guard during the restart and conceded a second goal.

　In the closing moments, Konno and Asari pushed forward, sticking close to the Kashima goal to launch an attack. In the 89th minute, they earned a left corner kick from a cross by Norio SUZUKI, and Asari took a shot after a clearance from Baba's kick, but it was blocked by the Kashima defense. They then earned a free kick almost in the center of the opponent's half, and Norio SUZUKI aimed for the goal, but it hit a teammate and went out of bounds. In the end, after taking the lead, they could not break through the wall of Kashima, who solidified their defense by bringing in defender Oiwa. They suffered a painful comeback loss at home.

　【Player Comments】"Lucas": "The match was evenly matched, and it wasn't that one side was better than the other. I think the result could have gone either way. However, our current team prioritizes not conceding goals first, so it's understandable that the number of chances was limited. For any team, those who concede fewer goals also tend to score fewer goals. (Regarding the assist for the goal) Kurisawa gave me a good ball back, and I immediately crossed it. That play was good. But since it didn't lead to a result, it's very disappointing. The combination with Wanchope isn't perfect yet, but it's gradually improving. I want to enhance our coordination more and contribute to the team's victory.""Wanchope": "I was able to score, but more than that, it's disappointing that the team couldn't win. My condition was very good... To win as a team, I think we need to be more aggressive and apply more pressure so that the opponent can't play freely. (Regarding my first league goal) It's nothing special. The team's victory is more important than me scoring."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "From the middle of the first half, we felt we were creating chances through side changes and had a good flow. There were some dangerous moments, such as pulling back too much and allowing middle-distance shots, but Ishikawa had scenes where he received the ball facing forward well. At halftime, I said, 'At that time, Lucas and Wanchope should firmly enter the front of the goal.' In the second half, I thought we took the lead and gained good momentum, but immediately after, we conceded from a rebound off a corner kick. If we could have held on for a few more minutes there, Kashima would have started to get nervous. We conceded during that period, and instead, we got flustered. After scoring one goal, there were moments where we became stretched out. I was happy about Wanchope's goal, but due to fatigue from consecutive matches, he stayed too far forward and lost the ball, so I brought in Tadashi BABA. Also, since the opponent's left side was often open, I put in Norio SUZUKI to take a chance. However, before the substitutes could settle into the game well, we conceded the second goal. Although we conceded two goals, Asari and the defenders have been really focused on defense in the past few matches. Also, we have been able to make good side changes, so we need to create finishing opportunities. I don't think today's game was bad at all. We lost, but we were able to execute the planned tactics to some extent. With only two days between matches, we will quickly switch our mindset and prepare for the next match against Kawasaki."

[Summary of Kashima Coach Oswaldo OLIVEIRA's Press Conference] "(In the previous match against Urawa, you mentioned it was a 'loss that leads to the next step.' What connects from that to today?) It may not be tactical or technical, but mentally, being able to do so much against Urawa has given the players confidence. Even though we conceded first, the fact that we believed we could come back shows the players had composure and confidence. (Do you think MF Nozawa's positioning was too deep?) To be honest, I want to use him further up, but the team lacks in build-up play, so we have him drop back. We rely on his cleverness and wide vision to create rhythm. However, just because he is positioned deeper doesn't mean he isn't showing his ability. Returning from surgery, it takes time to regain his form. As we play more matches, I believe his true strength will emerge. (What was the intention behind starting FW Tashiro and substituting FW Sasaki?) Tashiro is a player who could start, but like MF Nozawa, he was delayed by injury. Considering his rehabilitation, I thought he wouldn't last 90 minutes today. When mistakes started appearing, I saw it as fatigue and brought in Sasaki as planned. (What was the intention behind bringing in MF Masuda?) The opponent brought in midfield players, and our midfield's energy was dropping, so I brought in Masuda to stabilize the team. He is a player who should carry this team, but he still lacks experience. He has high stamina and can get involved in attacks, but if he can play a bit more calmly, he can create different developments. I believe he will improve as he gains experience. He scored today, so he showed a performance we can be satisfied with."